Cabazon Dinosaurs

If you have ever lived in Southern California I am sure you have passed this monumental roadside attraction a thousand times, as I had in my past but never once did I stop and explore the area until today.  This roadside attraction was made famous when it was featured in Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure.  

My son is currently obsessed with Dinosaurs so what better time to get out and explore the famous roadside attraction.  Once we arrived we headed straight to the Brontosaurus which was closest to where we parked.

We had noticed an open sign from our car welcoming us inside.  Once we entered we climbed a set of stairs to a gift shop where we purchased our tickets to enter the T-Rex statue and make the climb to the top located just across the parking lot.  Admission at the time of our visit was $12.00 for Adults and $10.00 for children.

Of course each step we took towards the T-Rex held an exciting experience.  Here Jaxon is standing at the entry way to the ticket booth.

As we made our way past the gates and walked at a leisurely rate down their well manicured dirt trails dinosaur adventures surrounding our every turn.  Towards the end of the trail it appeared to be under construction soon becoming a paved path.

Once we arrived at the doorway to the T-rex we made the climb into his giant mouth just behind his fierce teeth.  As we towered over everything below it was a beautiful panoramic view of the area.  I would have loved to taken pictures except we were wired in by chicken wire surrounding his entire mouth and giant teeth.

On our way back through we found a small area off to the side for children to dig for dinosaur bones.  The sign advertised that if you found one you would win a prize.  We dug for a good ten minutes and no sign of any bones.

Of course on our way out we stopped by a second gift shop and Jaxon had no problem explaining that he was unable to find any dinosaur bones and well deserved a prize for all his hard work.  The woman behind the counter was a good sport and allowed him to pick a prize after his ride on the dinosaur.  Which made for the perfect ending in a young boys mind.

Oasis Date Gardens

I have waited for over ten years to make my way out to Oasis Date Gardens to enjoy a creamy Date Milkshake.  So much that I refused to try any other Date Shake in fear that it would ruin the famous Oasis Date Shake I had heard so much about.  I cannot express the excitement I held as we pulled into the parking lot after a long drive from Phoenix it was exactly what we needed.  On the other hand my mother and son thought I was insane for finding this culinary adventure so intriguing.  Yet this is one of the great things about traveling with people you love everyone has different interests and we all join in to experience the others joy and excitement.  

As we entered Jax was welcomed by Raul Medjool and found that posing for a picture with him was even more exciting then walking the small store located towards the back with a wide variety of food items to add to the large store located in the front full of dates.

After we ordered our Date shakes we wondered around the small store and helped ourselves to the sampling area as we anxiously awaited them to be prepared.

The shakes were everything I had ever dreamed to expect and more.  I now question why it took me so long to make the short journey out here and I will surely not wait as long for our next visit.  I was not the only one who fell in love with the Date Shake in pure shock both my mother and my son had also fallen in love with the famous treat.  We then wondered into a small room off to the side of the store to enjoy a short educational movie about the history of the Oasis Date Gardens.

Once again we had unexpectedly learned so much on a short culinary journey to a Date Farm, in the middle of the Desert, all while enjoying the most amazing creamy date shake that you could ever imagine.  

Bearizona Wildlife Park

After a long drive across Arizona this was the perfect stop to stretch our legs and explore before heading to our hotel for the evening.  We weren't sure what to expect only that it had been recommended to us by a friend.  When we arrived at Bearizona Wildlife Park we were greeted at the drive through window by an amazing employee, with who we communicated that we would like to begin our adventure at the Wild Ride bus tour.  At this time she got on her walkie talkie and asked the bus to wait for us.  To find customer service of this level now days is unheard of so anytime I experience it I have to praise them.

The Wild Ride follows the same path as the drive-through area you can take with your own car.  So if you are uncomfortable driving your own vehicle through you can hop on the Wild Ride and sit back and relax.  There are a couple of advantages you get by taking the Wild Ride.  The entire ride includes an educational tour by one of the parks employees which gives you a great orientation to the entire park.  I found the best part of taking the Wild Ride is that I could take pictures of all of the animals through an open window.  When you drive your own car through your windows must be closed for a large amount of time.  The Wild Ride is also included in your admission to the park so it really all depends on how much time you have to spend in the park.

Our Wild Ride ended just in time for us to hurry over and catch the Raptor Free Flight Program.  As we have seem dozens of Raptor shows in the past I was not too excited about this part of our visit.  Jaxon chose the very last row in the back because he wanted to be able to see the raptors fly over our heads.  As we sat there and they repeatedly explained the safety rules for attending the show.  I was not prepared for our next experience as we listened and watched a Harrison Hawk take flight and head directly for our heads I actually ducked out of pure reaction.  It was an amazing show and my personal favorite moment of our entire visit.

We then walked the remainder of the park on paved paths that took us past a wide range of different animals from the area.  The animals were some of the most active I have ever seen even during my early morning visits to our local zoos.

As we strolled through the path we came to a large building that housed a gift shop and a well themed restaurant that I wish we had saved our appetite for.  The only picture I took is below, and it does not do the area justice.  We quickly passed through on our way to the outside patio that over looked the jaguar exhibit.  If I ever have the opportunity to return I will plan to spend a leisurely lunch or dinner here enjoying the atmosphere.

As we were exiting the restaurant area Jaxon caught an exciting opportunity out of the corner of his eye.  A women was walking around conducting a meet and greet with a resident Bearded Dragon.  For children to have the opportunities to meet animals up close, see all the details they would otherwise miss in the wild and ask questions about the animal is such an educational experience.  Not having to fight for a spot near a stage just to be lost in the crowd is so much more meaningful to a young child.  I truly wish more wildlife locations would incorporate this in their visits.

Once we returned to our car we decided to take the scenic route and drive the entire wildlife park in our own vehicle.  After taking the wild ride it just was not as exciting as I expected.  As you drive through the animals are separated by fences and gates.  Periodically throughout the drive they have stations set up for employees to be able to monitor the situation and make sure all the guests are following the rules.  The one advantage to driving your own vehicle is you are able to stop inside some of the enclosures to watch the wildlife.  As the bears are extremely active and mischievous you are not able to stop but must constantly be driving forward within their enclosures.

We have been to a couple drive through wildlife parks during road trips and by far this location had the most variety of activities offered.  It was a nice combination to be able to take a bus tour, catch a show and stretch our legs all in one location.  The animals were extremely active even in the afternoon sun which was wonderful.  So many times I find myself at a zoo in the afternoon wondering why I didn't come first thing in the morning so that I could actually see the animals and not another empty exhibit.  After a long drive this truly was our oasis waiting to entertain our tired minds.

Borax Visitors Center

We are always looking for great roadside stops to make on long road trips.  It gives us the opportunity to escape the car and learn something new.  As we drove down Highway 58 we came to this roadside attraction, excited to stretch our legs and see what adventure they had to offer.  The Borax Visitors Center was so much more than I expected. Their website does not give enough information except that admission is free and they are open daily from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.  This stop is so much more!  We were greeted at the door by a wonderful woman who invited us in to watch a 10 minute educational video.  Following our video she greeted us at the door with samples of the mineral Borate and a coloring book to take home and explore.

Once we had finished touring the inside of the museum we ventured outside for more fun and an observation deck overlooking the mine. The visual impact alone was astonishing.

These type of stops are valuable for many reasons.  I find the greatest element is you are learning something new without realizing it in the spirit of fun.  This was a great educational stop for everyone involved.